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East African Federation
The East African Federation (Swahili: Shirikisho la Afrika Mashariki Spanish: Federación de África Oriental Chinese: 东非联盟) is a federation of the former African nations of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. In addition, South Sudan is considered an associate. The Federation was formed in the mid-21st century following deliberate gradual integration between the member states, starting with a customs union and shared currency, before a confederation was established. Eventually a united council met in Kampala to draft a constitution for the federation. Among other things, the constitution established the capital at the city of Arusha, and resolved that the disputed Ileni Triangle would be administered directly by the federation. The latter resolution was agreed upon by five of the six member states - the exception was South Sudan, and this resolution was declared without consulting Ethiopia, a party in the dispute. Tanzania became the federation's dominant economy, alone accounting for just under half of its population and more than a third of its purchasing power. However, Kenya is home to the headquarters of the Mega-conglomerate Acteon Shipbuilding Currents, in Mombasa. The East African Federation is a starfaring nation, with extensive orbital facilities and space elevators in Arusha, Mombasa, Mzizima, Zanzibar, Nairobi, and Kampala. The population, and thus interstellar economy and industry, is concentrated along the coasts and around Lake Victoria, the so-called 'Swahili Coast' which historically has been an important center of trade along the Indian Ocean. The dominant megacorp in the region is Acteon, which is also by far the largest employer and investor in mines located further inland. History The area that is today the East African Federation was once far more diverse. The area was once largely hunter-gatherers until, in antiquity, Bantu peoples during Bantu Migration introduced agriculture and metallurgy while Cushitic peoples introduced cattle herding. The Great Lakes region became home to numerous small kingdoms, and densely populated as the area was lush and bountiful. The coastal regions established trade connections as far as China, selling goods traded from inland to abroad, a practice that continues today. The trade opportunities drew Arabs to the 'Swahili Coast' and they established settlements there. A culture emerged that was part-Bantu, part-Arab, and Muslim states such as Kilwa competed with other kingdoms in the area like Mombasa and Pate, as well as distant competitors like Mutapa and Ajuran. In the modern era, this coast became important as it laid along the Portuguese trade routes to India and China. The Portuguese vied for control of the Swahili Coast against the Ottomans and their allies in Somalia, but eventually Zanzibar was conquered by the Omanis. After the Omanis came the Germans (in Tanzania), British (in Kenya and Uganda), and Belgians (after World War 1). The East African Theater of World War 1 saw the Germans defeated, and the Belgians moved to usurp control of Rwanda and Burundi. After World War 2 and the following wave of decolonization, the region was granted independence. New countries appeared: Kenya, named for a local word meaning "resting place of the gods", Uganda, from the medieval Buganda kingdom, Tanganyika, after lake Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Rwanda, and Burundi, also named from a medieval kingdom. Shortly after, Tanganyika and Zanzibar agreed to join together, forming what is now known as Tanzania. The area saw severe instability after independence, but starting in the 21st century economic growth and relative political stability made East Africa one of the world's fastest growing regions. A population boom in Africa lead to Tanzania being in the top 10 most populous countries by 2100, and Mzizima (or Dar es Salaam) grew into one of the world's largest cities. As China grew into the world's new superpower, its thirst for raw materials to feed its heavy industry drew it to invest heavily in the region's affairs, building dams and funding mines as well as providing technical expertise. Economy Culture At least a dozen languages are spoken in the Federation, but English is the official language of three countries (though only really institutionalized in Kenya), and where that fails Swahili is the common lingua franca and working language of the federation. Aside from English, Chinese is an important language due to extensive trade and business with China. Category:Countries and Factions